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Ex-Seahawks DT Colin Cole saw his Carolina Panthers
lose 12-7 when Seattle came to town early in the 2013 regular season. (Image source:
jimcutler.files.wordpress.com)
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Uhm, NO! That's not in regards to the Seattle
Seahawks vociferous, raucous, feverish, Diehard Fans affectionately known in
the Pacific Northwest as the 12th Man... But instead to the mostly overlooked
tender process currently taking place over who'll become Formula 1's 12th Constructor in 2015, as the process has
been whittled down to three serious contenders - with today being D-Day for the
potential candidates submitting their proposals showing their ability to
adequately fund their team's entry beginning next season.
The three contenders, which I really believe
are only two, unless somebody pulls a white rabbit out of a hat are Gene Haas
and Dr. Colin Kolles, who in the past I've jested 'bout NOT being 'Cornfuzed
with Funnyman ex-Seahawks Defensive Tackle #90 Colin Cole; Hooah!
The third contender is Stefan GP headed by
its notorious Ringleader Zoran
Stefanovich, who has done nothing in his previous attempts
to flatter the FIA, having gone to the European Union no less to file a
complaint, claiming the 2010 tender process was flawed by unfavorable bias
towards Cosworth backed teams - which of the three selected: Campos-Meta, which
became HRT, USF1 which never arrived and Manor which became Virgin and now
Marussia - only the latter remains whilst there are currently NO V-6 turbo
Cossie lumps available...
Dr. Colin Kolles is indeed the same ex-Team
Principal of the failed Midland F1 Team, also having stints at Spyker and Force
India before taking over the running of Hispania F1 before its demise and has
long harboured ambitions of running his own Formula 1 team.
Gene Haas is the proprietor of Haas Automation,
a 'Mega CNC equipment supplier and currently co-owns Stewart Haas Racing which
won the 2011 NASCAR championship with 'SMOKE, a.k.a. Tony Stewart - as its
worth remembering that it was Haas who inked Kurt Busch to the team this season
and said he'd pay for it out of his own pocket!
Thus one has to wonder if Uncle Bernaughty's
(Ecclestone) bluster about Haas not getting the nod for the twelfth seat
is just a clever ploy to entice Haas
into putting his money where his mouth is? Since after all how long have Y'all
been hearing that what the U.S. needs to really stoke the F1 fire is its own
team...